FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 5, 2026
Hayden, ID — Citizens Alliance of Idaho today announced that Dr. Samuel T. Lair will join the organization as Director of Legislative Strategy and Affairs for the upcoming 2027 legislative session. The announcement comes two days after Idaho voters delivered a clear message to the rest of the country: defeating one of the nation’s most radical pro-abortion ballot initiatives by a 56%–44% margin, returning every general election Legislative Pledge Signer incumbent to office in a perfect 37-for-37 sweep, and sending four new Pledge Signers to join the Legislature in 2027.
“Idaho is what America was,” has long been a Citizens Alliance of Idaho motto. Tuesday night proved it has never been more true. Idahoans declared that Idaho values life, that grassroots accountability works, and that the most conservative coalition of lawmakers in the United States will continue to lead and protect our shared values.
“Tuesday proved that in Idaho, the grassroots will not be ignored. Being disregarded by the national legacy media, never hosting a Trump rally, and millions upon millions of dollars and lies sent in by the Left doesn’t matter — this is Idaho. We will ride together,” said Matt Edwards, Executive Director of Citizens Alliance of Idaho. “With Dr. Lair joining our team, we are ready to turn that mandate into sustained legislative action that makes life affordable, puts Idaho citizens’ interests ahead of illegal immigrants, and keeps Idaho and America First.”
Dr. Lair holds a Ph.D. in Politics from Hillsdale College’s Van Andel Graduate School of Statesmanship, where his dissertation examined the political thought and statesmanship of James Monroe. A scholar of the American Founding and Early Republic, he has already shaped Idaho’s future by authoring and helping implement patriotic education and classical pedagogy into the state’s public school curricula through S1336. In prior roles with the Idaho Freedom Foundation, he testified, wrote, and organized around educational freedom, anti-DEI measures, and the restoration of genuine civics education.
“Over the past few years, CAI has helped create one of the most principled and effective conservative governing coalitions in the country,” said Dr. Lair. “I’m honored for the opportunity to assist Pledge Signers in preserving our tradition of ordered liberty and the American way of life here in Idaho.”
In his new role, Lair will provide day-to-day support for The Pledge, the most successful pledge in Idaho politics, through rigorous bill analysis, direct engagement with Pledge Signer legislators, and first-principles governance training for current and future officeholders. He will help ensure that constitutional accountability is treated as more than campaign rhetoric.
“Dr. Lair’s arrival signals that Citizens Alliance of Idaho remains serious about adding real value to The Pledge’s daily standard of accountability,” Edwards added. “Pledge Signer legislators in Good Standing just gained a formidable ally in the cause of liberty. And those who refuse to sign should take note. Our first five years were about preserving our shared values. The next five will be about advancing them — deliberately, relentlessly, and without retreat.”
As Citizens Alliance of Idaho celebrates its five-year anniversary, the organization remains focused on the work that delivered Tuesday night’s results: equipping principled legislators, holding them to account, and demonstrating to the rest of the country what it looks like when a coalition of conservatives sets the agenda.
Media Contact:
Matt Edwards
Executive Director
Citizens Alliance of Idaho
208-682-5420 | [email protected] | citizensallianceidaho.org
The Gem State Chronicle delivers daily analysis, op-eds, press releases, and Idaho Insider updates — free to your inbox.
Free newsletter · Unsubscribe anytime · View on Substack
About Citizens Alliance of Idaho
Citizens Alliance of Idaho is a nonpartisan, 501(c)4 organization dedicated to preserving and advancing constitutional government, fiscal responsibility, educational freedom, and the protection of Idaho’s shared values. Through The Pledge, legislative engagement, and voter mobilization efforts such as Operation: Save Hearts, CAI works to ensure that Idaho remains what America was — and what it can be again. To donate and invest in Idaho’s sovereignty, please visit https://citizensallianceidaho.org/donate
